Planned Changes to Market Wards - News

Square Enix have announced some changes to the market ward system that will be implemented in the near future. These are to help improve the user experience. The current system of trade between players has often been criticised for being too slow and time consuming, making it difficult to find the items that you are looking for. Some questions and answers were posted on the Lodestone website today detailing the upcoming changes as well as other things. The text is as follows.

Markets

Q. I have read that there are changes planned to improve the market system, but is there any more specific information available regarding these changes and the direction the market system will take?
A. We have continued to receive copious amounts of feedback regarding changes that players would like to see made to the market system. As a result, we are planning a number of revisions and additions to the system, the first of which are scheduled to be implemented in the next one to two weeks.

Specifically, market wards will be organized according to specific item types, making it easier to consolidate similar items in the same area. Further, if an item sold within a ward corresponds to that wards’ item type, the tax incurred will be reduced. Items not of that ward’s category may still be sold, but the tax imposed will remain the same as it has up until now.

We will be closely monitoring the trends and developments of the market system following the implementation of these revisions and new features, and will continue to make further adjustments and alterations to improve player usability and convenience. For example, we are currently looking into options that will provide players with precise information as to which items are located in which market areas, or the ability to seek out specific items without the need for speaking to retainers, and more.

Also, we are now taking steps to increase the number of retainers that a character is able to simultaneously employ.

Anima

Q. What is the deal with the anima regeneration rate?
A. During the Open Beta, anima was recovered at the rate of one point every six hours (Earth time). Since service began last week for owners of the collector’s edition, however, that rate has been adjusted to one point every four hours.

Food

Q. What kind of effects does eating have on my character?
A. Eating food serves to temporarily increase certain stats, such as physical and magic attack power, or attributes, such as strength and dexterity. Also, there are foods and dishes suited more to the palates of certain races than others, resulting in more powerful effects.